General Information

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers instruction leading to the degree Master of Liberal Studies (M.L.S.). The interdisciplinary program provides an opportunity for students to study the liberal arts and sciences beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is intended primarily for those who regard the liberal arts as subjects for lifelong learning and for those who, because their undergraduate curriculum was primarily professional, wish to broaden their general education. The Master of Liberal Studies is not intended as preparation for doctoral study. In addition to taking three required graduate seminars, students complete a project and a program of electives designed to meet their own interests and needs.

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the M.L.S. program by the Graduate Liberal Studies Committee of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To be considered for admission, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and must have obtained an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. The committee may make exceptions to this latter requirement. International applicants must submit TOEFL scores. Recommended score for the traditional version is 600. Recommended score for the computer version is 250. Application forms and further details may be obtained from the director of the M.L.S. program.

Application Deadlines

Students may be admitted to the MLS Program to begin in either the fall or spring semesters.  All admission decisions are made by the faculty members of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Liberal Studies Committee.  The committee meets to review applications 3 times each year.  Deadlines for submitting completed applications for review by the committee are March 31 for early admission to the following fall semester, August 1 for final admission to the fall semester, and October 31 for admission to the following spring semester. 

Students wishing to enter in the fall are strongly encouraged to submit their materials by the March 31 early admission deadline to assure there will be an opening in the program.  Students are also advised to give reference letter writers at least two to four weeks notice so that their letters will arrive prior to the deadline.  Applications that are not completed by a given deadline will not be considered until the next deadline and may cause a delay in admissions by one semester.  Completed applications include the application form, a personal essay, three letters of reference, transcripts of all previous undergraduate study, and the application fee.  All students wishing to enter the program should contact Mike Keen, Director (574-520-4185) prior to submitting an application.

Academic Curriculum (30 cr.)

(All courses are 3 cr. hours unless otherwise designated.)

Required graduate-level work, distributed as follows:

Core Courses (9 cr.)

LBST D501 Humanities Seminar
LBST D502 Social Science Seminar
LBST D503 Science Seminar

Electives (15 cr.)

Master of Liberal Studies Project (6 cr.)

LBST D500 Graduate Project (6 cr.)

Core Courses
Each of the core courses is a graduate seminar combining detailed study of particular topics with broad interdisciplinary perspectives. These courses give students the opportunity to explore the connections that exist among the diverse disciplines that define modern knowledge.

Elective Courses
Students select these courses from a wide range of offerings to create programs of study suited to their individual interests and needs. These elective courses may be designed to build support and background for the graduate project or to enable students to understand new areas of knowledge from an interdisciplinary point of view. Elective courses are selected from upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level courses in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in other academic programs. Each core course may be repeated once for credit.

Master of Liberal Studies Project
The graduate project is a scholarly enterprise in which the student demonstrates mastery of a specific topic. Examples include: a thesis, a computer program, a translation of a work of literature, or an artistic composition or performance. Students plan and execute their projects after completion of the three core courses. Six credit hours are required.

Academic Regulations

Students must have their programs of study approved by the M.L.S. program director and by faculty advisors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Courses taken for graduate credit at the 300- or 400-level include additional assignments beyond those required for undergraduate credit. Enrollment in such courses requires the approval of the instructor and of the M.L.S. program director. Students may take up to 9 credit hours of electives in a single academic program.

An average grade of B (3.0) is required for graduation, and no course with a grade lower than B– (2.7) will be counted towards the degree. Students are required to retain good academic standing, i.e., to maintain a GPA of at least 2.7. Failure to maintain good standing may result in dismissal from the program.

Other academic regulations and policies are established by the Graduate Liberal Studies Committee of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students are to consult the M.L.S. program director for further information.

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